Fluid-transfer device



April 7, i925. 532,326

' L. B. LENT ET AL FLUID TRANSFER DEVICE Filed Sept. 29, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet l LENT 'ET AL FLUID TRANSFER DEVICE Filed Sept. 29, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 thereof by way TEDl STATES PATENT oE'FicE. i

uNiy

LEON B. LENT, OF NEW YORK, AND CHARLES B.

KIRKHAM, 0F GARDEN CITY, 'NEW FLUID-TRANSFER DEVICE.

Application vfiled September 29, 1921.. Serial No. 504,128.

To all whom, it may concern.'

Y Be it known that we, LEON CHARLES B.

United States, 5 of Manhattan, city,

New-York, and Garden respectively,

B. LENT and KIRKHAM, citizens of the and residents of the borough county, and State of City, New York,

have madecertain new and useful Improvements in Fluid-Transfer Devices, of which the following is a specification.

` Our invention relates to an improvement in fluid transfer devices,

one object of the invention Abeing the provision of a device which is capable of effecting a transferof fluid from one point vto another at constant delivery pressure regardless of the amount of fluid discharged bythe pump which forms a part of our device.

A further object of our invention is Vthe provisio'n of dicated wherein by the pump casing.

a device of the character inthe excess iuid discharged returned to the intake side of apassage in the pump A- still further object of our invention is the provision of a transfer device wherein the delivery pressure may desired.

be varied if In order that we may realize our inven- .ti on we lpumps pass casing. l

provide a power-operated gear pump of the each of these to effect a transfer deliveryv pressure Botli the fluid through the pump While our apparatus is capable of being substituted for different types of fluid transfer devices now in ticularly adapted for in that it overcomes general use, it is paruse 1n aero lane work the troub esome features commonto most of the complex systems now in use and alsomeets the exacting requirements of this class of work.

We might mention at this point that our device is capable the fuel tank plane engine ossential requirement of any and particularly of transferring fuel from to the carburetor of the aerowith certainty which is an .fuel system fuel system for aero lanes.

By our improved device We are a le to positively supply fuel to the before the engine the engine afterward an carbureter of is started and ample supply of fuel is as- Another important feature of our invention is that we have eliminated the many pip connections and fittings which are now used and have reduced the whole pipe system to an absolute minimum which, of course, reduces the likelihood of trouble due to leaks.

Briefly, our invention comprises av pump casing within which is mounted a gear pump, this casing being provided with a Valve-controlled passageway for the return to the intake vside of the pump of excess vfluid discharged by the pump. The passageway being controlled automatically, the pressure at which the fluid is transferred by the gear pump will at all times be constant.

In series with the main transfer device or -pump is a manually operated auxiliary pump provided with a relief valve whereby the pressure at which the hand-operated auxiliary pump may deliver fluid is automatically regulated. The two pumps are operable independently of each other and the auxiliary pump is only used for priming. purposes, or in an emergency. I

We have illustrated an embodiment of our invention in the accompanying drawings, it being understood,'however, that the apparatus shown is illustrative rather than deinitive.

Fig. l is a more or less diagrammatic view showing a system embodying our 1nvention whereb fuel or other liquid may be transferred from a supply tank orother source to the carburet'er ofa gas engine for example;

Fig.- 2 is a section taken through the hand-operated auxiliary pump shown in elevation in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is asection taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 looking in' the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevational View of the power-operated transfer device;

Fig. 5 is a section on theline .Vi- .5 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 1s'- a sectionvv taken on the linepump gears 2 and( 3 respectively. Gear lof ' fromv to the intake side pumps are Well known but We might add 'that in our apparatus 4as illustrated duid is taken into the pump at 4 and discharged at 5 and hereafter We will refer to 4 as the intake side of the pump and 5 as the discharge side thereof.

he pump gear 2 is mounted upon a povverriven shaft 6 which when the device is employed as a device Afor supplying uel to an internal combustion engine may be and preferably is driven by the engine to lvvhich'it is supplying fuel. The drive from the engine may be through a upon' the drive shaft 6.

As will be seen from Fig. 5 the shaft 6 passes into usual stuffingbox. In addition to this stuifing box We provide additionalmeans for preventing leakage of the fuel being trans ferred past the drive shaft, this means comprising a pocket 9in the casting or pump casing 1 through which passes the drivey shaft and a passageway 10 leading thereof the pump. By

this arrangement any fluidl attempting to pass the drive shaft Will be trapped in the i pocket 9 and be sucked from thence into the Pump' The fluid belng transferred 1s taken into the pump casing through the pipe l1, this pipe being attached to the pump casing by a lock Washer union designated 12. From Fig. 4 it will be seen that this union comprises a lock Washer 14 and a nut 15, the end of the pipe 11 being provided with an annular shoulder 13 and the lock vWasher 14 being interposed between this shoulder and the and to this end, therefore,

" seen that a nut. When the nut' 15 isset up it Will be good tight locked union is obtained lbetvveen the pipe l1 and the pump casing 1. It may be here mentioned that this locked connection or union is very important when the in aeroplane Work inasmuch as it efl'e'ctually prevents leakage at this connection due to vibration of the. machine. As the fluid is drawn through the pipe 11 it passes through the gear pump in the usual Way and is"discharged from the casing through a dicharge pipe 16. This pipe also is connected to the pump casing by a. lock union comprising the lock Washer 18 and nut 19.

Asheretofore noted, it is the purpose of thisinvention/to effect delivery of the Huid being transferred at a constant pressure a valve-controlled ret-urn passageway 20 has thepump casing 1, this passageway connecting the -discharge side of the pump to the intake side thereof. A spring loaded check-valve 21 is provided in this passageway, the valve being held seatedby a spring 22. While this ensures delivery at constant pressure and permits of the return of excess fluid to the intake side of the pump, yet it gear 47 mounted the pump casing through theV present device is employedl been provided in and the auxiliary may be desirable to vary this end We providea screwthreaded plug 23 screwed into the casting constituting the'casing 1 and a stem 24 screw-threaded into the plug 23, the inn-er end of this stem being provided with a head 25 adapted to engage the spring 22. By tilrning the stem'24 one Way or the other t e to vary the lpressure at Which the fluid Will be delivered.

In addition to the parts so far described. a pressure gauge 26 has been provided connected to the pump casing by a pipe 27 locked to the casing as indicated at by a locked union. 29 and 30 designate tivo tanks from vWhich the fuel or other liquid to be transferred is taken, these tanks being connected by pipes 31 and 32 to an auxiliary or hand-operated'pump 33 connected in series With the gear pump through the pipe 11.

tension on the spring 22 may be varied .lhis auxiliary pump is provided for prim# 'a check-valve 42 loaded by a spring 43 held in the casing by a screvvthreaded plug 44. The passage 41, it will be seen from Fig. 47 places the intake pipe 11 and discharge pipe 16 into communication Wit-h each other, all fluid passing through this passage having to flow pastlthe spring loaded check-valve 42. From thence the fluid passes tothe carbureter 34 of the engine 35.

. In order that too much pressure'may not be imposed upon the pressure gauge 26 due to operation of the auxiliary pump a springloa-ded pressure relief valve 45 has been provided on the back of the pump for shunting the fuel from the take side of the pump.

The valves 21 and 42 have been provided fuel will be transferredby the gear pump.

It will be seen also that the gear pump pump are connected in discharge to the inprovided for the purpose of series, each pump being capable of effecting carbureter and incidentally prime the power pump'. After the engine starts, however, the power-driven gear pump furnishes the fuel continuously, the pressure being automatically governed or controlled. The aux` iliary pump at that time becomes a part of the suction line. However, should the power pump fail for any reason the auxiliary pump may be used continuously to furnish fuel to the carburetor.

lt will be seen also that our'improved apparatus fulfills all the requirements of a fluid transfer device' and of a transfer device for use in connectionv with aeroplanes. The number of pipe connections and the amount of piping required are reduced to a minimum. In normal operation there is no pressure'on any part of the system except the line running from the discharge of the power pump to the carburetor and to the pressure gauge and these lines we have properly protected from leakage.

It will be seen'also that the operation o-f our apparatus should be equally good r and reliable, no matter what the relative elevations and locations may be of the fuel tanks, parts of the system, and engine. This enables us tolocate the tanks and other parts of the apparatus where found most convenient.

While we have described and illustrated a specific embodiment of our invention it is to made in the details thereof within the purview of our invention.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In a device for transferring fluid, the combination'of a casing, a pump within the casingv for effecting a transfer of fluid through the casing, said casing being provided with a passageway through which fluid may be transferred through the casing independently of the action of said pump.

2. ln a device for transferring fluid, the combination of a casing, a pump within the casing for effecting a transfer of uid through the casing, said casing being provided with a passageway through which fluid niay be transferred through the casing independently of the action `of said pump, and a valve in said passageway permitting flow of fluid therethrough in one direction only.

3. ln a device for transferring fluid, the combination of a casing, a power driven -gear pump within the casing for e'ectingoa transfer of fluid through the casing at constant delivery pressure, said casing being provided with a passage for returning excess fluid discharged from the pump to the inlet side thereof, a spring loaded valve controlling said passage, means for regulating said valve to vary the pressure at which fluid 1s delivered by said gear pump, an auxiliaryv pump for transferring fluid independently of said gear pump thro-ugh a second passage in said casing, a valve controlling said second passage, said gear pump and auxiliary pump being independently operable and connected in series whereby fluid transferred by the auxiliary pump passes through the gear pump.

This specification signed this 13th dayof September, 1921.

LEON B. LENT. CLES B. KIRKHAM. 

